A re-imagining of a classic by the skilled minds at The Handmade Cocktail Company, which brings the New Orleans coffee house where this cocktail was first created to your living room. The World's Best Cocktail features a 50:50 mix of stunning rye whiskey and VSOP Cognac, a dose of Peychaud's Bitters and a touch of high-quality Absinthe.
The concept of the ‘Vintage Cocktail’ range is simple – you get all the ingredients for a superb cocktail pre-mixed. All you have to do is pour it over ice, stir, then strain off into your glass and garnish (in this instance with a twist of lemon peel). Each bottle carries a stamp showing its year of manufacture.
The faint hint of aniseed develops into something almost liquorice-like. Notes of grated nutmeg and Crème caramel. Elegant floral elements waft in after a minute, as does a spicy hint of cardamom.
A tangy, intense mix of star anise, allspice and vanilla. Toasted oak, coffee beans and hints of red currants appear, alongside peppermint. Hints towards orange peels and Sherbet Lemons, with the anise developing familiar notes of Liquorice Allsorts. Oily and rounded.
Long finish with aniseed drops, candied peels and lingering spices.
Rather enveloping, punchy stuff with beautiful notes of spice and aniseed.
This cocktail has all the makings of a good Sazerac, but is WAY too sweet! The only way to make it drinkable is to cut it with some good rye whiskey.
This is an interesting take on one of my favorite cocktails, but as it stands, it's way too sweet. If the sweetness was cut down significantly, this would be extremely enjoyable. But right now, I don't think I'm going to be able to finish the bottle without making some changes.
